20-08-2023, 11:34 AM
(02-03-2023, 01:51 PM)Mark Hennessy Wrote: We've recently gone from a normal 1.0 Ecoboost (125 BHP) to a 1.5 Ecoboost with 150 BHP. The bigger engine obviously has better low-down torque, so is much easier to "launch" and is basically effortless in traffic. Still does between 40 and 50 mpg. We got a peak of 58 mpg from the 1.0 on a long run once.
Re-reading this thread, my wife has just repeated her various summer holiday journeys, and the 1.5 got the same 58 mpg that the 1.0 got. I think that's really impressive given the boost in torque you get from the bigger engine. We were lucky to see 40mpg on a journey like that in my 2001 equivalent of the same car, despite it having a lot less power and weighing less. Things have come a long way recently...
If we did go back to 2 cars, the second would definitely be an EV. There are lots of s/h options now for sane prices (relatively speaking, compared to ICE of similar ages - of course the market is still quite high this side of the pandemic). I quite like the idea of the original Ionic, as it is one of the most efficient EVs around, in terms of miles per kWh, though the later 38kWh ones are having a bit of an issue with their coolant crystallising and blocking passageways - that should be sorted out by a recall, but it seems prudent to hold off to see how that pans out. They have relatively small batteries and the range is a bit limited (just shy of 200 miles), but for our use-case, it could be a good fit. Charging from a 13A socket at home is quite feasible with the smaller batteries - anything bigger would require a dedicated charger, and that would mean digging up the garden (again!) to run a beefier supply.
So, what did you go for, Mike?
